Deck 9: Policies and Programs to Combat Poverty

Question 1

Regarding homelessness in the United States:

A) Research indicates that most of the homeless children had previously been in foster care
B) A real solution must involve the provision of permanent housing for those who are currently homeless
C) According to a study, a very small percentage had worked the previous month
D) It can be eradicated without changes in federal housing

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The primary feature of Medicare Part _____ is the prescription drug benefit.

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Single parents receiving TANF assistance and who have a child over age six are required to work at least ____ hours per week.

A) 15
B) 20
C) 25
D) 30

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The Homeless Assistance Act and the amendment:

A) Allows homeless children to attend school without residency verification
B) Provides permanent housing for those who are homeless
C) Permits both federal and states to intervene directly in the housing market by controlling rents

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT true about Medicare:

A) It was created by the Health Insurance for the Aged Act in 1965
B) Part B covers hospital bills and limited stays in nursing homes
C) It is financed by employer-employee contributions
D) People are eligible at age 65

Question 6

According to the Census Bureau, ____ million people are poor in the United States.

A) 3
B) 10
C) 39
D) 53

Question 7

Which of the following programs is under the umbrella of Public Assistance:

A) Unemployment Insurance
B) Medicare
C) Medicaid
D) Old Age, Survivors, Disability, and Health Insurance

Question 8

Which of the following is true regarding Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF):

A) Is a grant program through the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
B) Decreases the states' discretion over benefit distribution
C) Allows mothers with children age 6 or older to receive benefits, and allows them to stay home and care for their children
D) A large percentage of the funds are targeted for education and job training

Question 9

_____ is administered through Social Security Administration; however, it is funded by general tax revenues, not employer/employee contributions.

A) Medicare
B) Medicaid
C) Supplemental Security Income
D) General Assistance

Question 10

The median income of female-headed families is about _____% of the median for families with two parents present.

A) 21
B) 31
C) 41
D) 51

Question 11

A _____ establishes a new way of looking at the world, with women and their issues becoming the focus.

A) Gender lens
B) Feminine mystique
C) Worldview
D) New world order

Question 12

_____ is a public assistance program funded by federal and state governments that pays for medical and hospital services for eligible people who are unable to pay for these services and are determined to be in need.

A) Medicaid
B) Supplemental Security Income
C) General Assistance
D) Medicare

Question 13

Which of the following would be considered an economic explanation for poverty:

A) The increasing trend for industries to move from North America to other parts of the world where production costs are cheaper
B) Racial segregation in communities often results in the concentration of people of color in poor urban environments
C) Decreasing levels of financial assistance, resources, and services available

Question 14

Which of the following is true regarding Temporary Assistance to Needy Families:

A) Eligible families can receive financial assistance for many years
B) Most states spend more than they did on AFDC
C) Some recipients can continue to receive Medicaid after leaving the program
D) It encourages an increase in family size

Question 15

OASDHI covers ____ percent of all workers in the United States.

A) 43
B) 53
C) 73
D) 93

Question 16

_____ is usually the last resort for people who are not eligible for benefits provided by other programs.

A) Medicare
B) Medicaid
C) Supplemental Security Income
D) General Assistance

Question 17

______ is the tendency to divide the population into categories of social position based on the extent to which people have access to the goods and services the society values.

A) Societal division
B) Social stratification
C) Class arrangement
D) Caste system

Question 18

According to Kornblum & Julian, _______ of the 6.4 billion people on Earth are so poverty-stricken that they must survive on $1 per day or less.

A) 10.8 million
B) 98.2 million
C) 1.2 billion
D) 4 billion

Question 19

All of the following organizations are considered grassroots organizations except:

A) National Organization of Women
B) Women's Action Alliance
C) Older Women's League
D) Democratic Nominating Committee

Question 20

All of the following are true except:

A) People in poverty must be empowered to see that change is possible
B) Most poor people have positive role models
C) Poor people must make hard choices regarding what things they can possess
D) The concept of empowerment is critical to provide hope for people in poverty

Question 21

The Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC):

A) Has eligibility requirements that are much stricter than TANF programs
B) Is currently serving 50% of the people eligible to receive benefits
C) Mandates participants to fulfill state residency requirements

Question 22

The quality of living for the majority of Americans has been increasing in recent years.

Question 23

Some wealthy people find that having a social class of poor people is useful because the poor people can do the dirty work for the rich people.

Question 24

People who experience frequent failure and deprivation may quit trying to achieve in the system.

Question 25

Approximately 13 percent of the total U.S. population is poor.

Question 26

The middle class is described as blue-collar workers and lower-level service workers.

Question 27

In the United States, 12 percent of the people in the homeless population are children.

Question 28

In the world today, there are about 160 billionaires.

Question 29

The Canadian program for children that was described in the text includes all of the following except:

A) The maximum basic benefit is C$1,988 per year for a child under age 18
B) Families who have children with disabilities receive slightly higher funding
C) The family allowance program declares that families with high incomes receive no cash benefits

Question 30

Wealth is the amount of money earned by family members in a year.

Question 31

Human capital includes a person's property and valuables.

Question 32

Which of the following is true:

A) The public assistance caseload has been constantly expanding
B) Welfare recipients are mainly African Americans
C) Public assistance cost the nation a fortune
D) The majority of TANF recipients are white

Question 33

About _____ percent of the federal budget was spent on safety net programs.

A) 14
B) 20
C) 28
D) 31

Question 34

Social Security includes the financial benefits provided by OASDHI and Medicare.

Question 35

Approximately 5 percent of all U.S. children under age 18 are poor.

Question 36

About 40 percent of women over age 16 work outside of the home.

Question 37

About 20 percent of all households in the United States have more than one third of the wealth.

Question 38

The tendency to divide the population into categories of social position based on the extent to which people have access to the goods and services the society values is referred to as societal division.

Question 39

Prior to August, 1996 the primary program for public assistance to families was called Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.

Question 40

Medicare is a Social Insurance program.

Question 41

List and define the public assistance programs available in the United States.

Question 42

List and define the social insurance programs available in the United States.

Question 43

Explain the difference between status and power.

Question 44

A person in a family participating in certain other benefit programs, such as the Food Stamp program, Medicaid, or TANF, are not eligible for the WIC program.

Question 45

Housing Assistance is a Social Insurance program.

Question 46

The public assistance caseload has been expanding for the past several years.

Question 47

Regarding the feminization of poverty, what do you think are the reasons for the discrepancies in wealth for women as opposed to men?

Question 48

How would you go about empowering a client who is poor?

Question 49

Cite a rationale for poverty's existence using the following:

A) Economic explanation
B) Political explanation
C) Racial and gender discrimination

Question 50

Canada has the highest rate of child poverty among industrialized nations.

Question 51

Answer the following questions. You will not be graded on your opinions, only on your ability to think critically about these questions:
A. What does poverty mean to you?
B. Where would you place yourself on the continuum ranging from poor to middle class to wealthy?
C. Who is to blame for people being poor? Is it their own fault, or are they victims of unfair social conditions?

Question 52

How would you solve the homeless problem in the United States? Don't forget-you have to be able to fund your solutions.

Question 53

In 1996, Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act.

Question 54

General Assistance is a Social Insurance program.

Question 55

How would you reply to the following statements:
A. Welfare recipients are mainly African Americans.
B. People on welfare live high on the hog.
C. Public assistance costs the country a fortune.

Question 56

Categorical grants are sums of money provided by the federal government that allow significant discretion in how the money should be spent.

Question 57

Explain what it means to use a "gender lens" to view the plight of women.

Question 58

Approximately 3% of the federal budget is spent on family support including TANF.

Question 59

Food stamps program is under the umbrella of Social Insurance.

Question 60

Using the basic approach to consciousness-raising, answer the following questions about yourself. You will not be graded on your answers, only on your ability to critically think about the questions and clearly write your answers.
A. Who am I?
B. Who says?
C. Who benefits from this definition?
D. What must change, and how?

Question 61

To what extent is the WIC policy sound? How would you change it if you could-and how would you fund it?

Question 62

How would you change the prescription drug benefit formula if you could?

Question 63

Do you think it is fair to force women into assuming responsibility for both household caregiving and outside work when the same pressures do not generally apply to men? Don't be afraid…you will only be graded on your ability to argue your case, not on your belief.

Question 64

Explain the eligibility guidelines for the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Question 65

Compare and contrast Canada's Child Tax Benefit plan with the public assistance in the United States.